IDM | Technology/IT
For longer shelf life and
higher quality products
CIP – An important ally
Author: Vasilis Giannopoulos, Sector Manager, Dipl. Mechanical Engineer, MBA;
Automation System Hellas, 32 Chalkis Str., PO Box 60773, GR-57001 Pylaia, Thessaloniki, Greece,
Tel: +30 231 0 273762, 242213, 475492, Fax: +30 231 0 253159
Mail to: V.Giannopoulos@ashellas.com, Web: www.ashellas.com
Food and beverage industries have followed
through time different policies
confronting the necessity of a CIP system.
Initially, regulatory mandates where
formed and EC Directives were issued undertaking
the role of the base for allowing
inspection of conformity to the essential
20 · 4-5 2017 | international-dairy.com
requirements of high level hygiene in the
production environment. After a long period
of harmonization trials food processing companies
show evidence of CIP usage appreciation,
as they start to consider such a cleaning
unit as a non-extractable cornerstone in
the foundation of the production line.
The common mistake that industries make
during the chase of achieving higher quality
products and longer shelf life, is that they focus
on production machinery and network equipment,
excluding the CIP system. Precluding the
cleaning parameter and degrading the importance
of it can lead to serious malfunctioning
and financial loss. The CIP unit should be considered
as an important element of the production
process and thus one of the most effective
spearheads of the industry’s artillery at the battle
against fouling and product contamination.
This holistic approach has been enhanced
due to the fact that industries have realized
that a proper functioning CIP system offers
a return on investment in cost savings
as well as in the extension of product shelf
life. Higher cleaning efficiency leads to better
hygienic conditions and subsequently to
shorter downtimes between product runs.
Community Directives have proved not only
to impede any risks arising out of the design
and construction of food machinery but also
acted as the base for better studying, measuring
and in-depth understanding of the cleaning
mechanisms. In following this method and at
the pursuit of optimizing the CIP performance,
predictive growth and inactivation models have
been used in order to manipulate production
data and determine microorganism growth
rates, temperature and cleaning agents’ impact.
The (photo: Automation System Hellas) collection of such information can